Department for Transport

M4

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when work will commence to convert the M4 to a smart motorway from junction 3 to Theale; what the estimated time of completion is; what the estimated final cost of the project is; and what level of traffic disruption is expected during construction.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: From Highways England’s latest information, the M4 junction 3 to 12 scheme is scheduled to start works in 2016/17 and to complete in 2021/22. The latest cost estimate for the scheme is in a range of £614m to £862m with a central estimate of £715m.The improvements to the M4 are being designed to minimize traffic disruption. The work will be phased but ensure that sections will provide three narrow lanes open to traffic during the daytime and at times of peak flows. Lane closures will take place at night, when traffic flows are lower, for specific tasks such as re-surfacing and gantry and bridge erection. Some complete closures of the M4 will also be required to allow for the demolition of eleven overbridges that are to be replaced as part of this scheme. These will be arranged for periods when flows on the motorway are at their lowest, usually at weekends.

Mileometers

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered making illegal all odometer adjustment, and enforcing an outright ban on (1) the sale and purchase of odometer adjustment equipment, and (2) companies offering those services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I deplore the practice of mileage fraud.Odometers do go wrong and may be replaced, so there are occasions when adjustment of the odometer is legitimate. To help, consumers mileage is recorded at every MOT test and is available on the certificate and online. Although odometer adjustment is not currently unlawful, the misrepresentation of true mileage to a potential purchaser is illegal under consumer protection legislation.

Bus Services: Disability

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce mandatory training on disability awareness for bus drivers, and if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not plan to mandate disability awareness training for bus drivers at this time. Disability Awareness Training remains available to all drivers as part of the periodic Certificate of Professional Competence training syllabus and the industry has reported that virtually all drivers have now undertaken the training.

Cycling and Walking

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still intend to publish their Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in summer 2016.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport is in the early stages of developing its first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) with the intention to publish by summer 2016 following a public consultation on the draft in spring 2016.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their timetable for the HS2 Bill to achieve Royal Assent by the end of 2016 remains achievable.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The progress of the Bill is in the hands of Parliament and Royal Assent by December 2016 remains an achievable target.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the Department for Transport has taken to ensure that the appointment of the Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance to the Network Rail Executive Committee does not give a commercial advantage to Abellio in respect of future franchise bids across the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance has now also been appointed as Managing Director Scotland within Network Rail and, as part of his new role, will sit on Network Rail’s Executive Committee. He is an employee of Network Rail in both roles, but continues to report to the head of Abellio UK in his capacity of running the ScotRail Alliance only.It is for Network Rail and any individual concerned to ensure that no conflicts of interest are allowed to affect the conduct of the company’s business.

Railways: Death

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons other than those working on the railway have been killed on (1) the UK railways, and (2) the London Underground, in each of the last 10 years, and in the current year so far; and how many of those were (a) suicides, (b) accidents to persons trespassing on the line, (c) accidents at level crossings, and (d) owing to other causes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Other than those working on the railway, the number of fatalities on UK Railways over the past decade and to date this year is noted in Table 1 below.Table 1: Fatalities on UK Railways2005/062006/072007/082008/092009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16*Suicide225225207219243208250246278292142Trespass4443524642244033222215Level Crossings13101012136498110Other811666984444Totals290289275283304247302292312329161*April – SeptemberThe Department for Transport does not hold any information in relation to fatalities on London Underground.

Home Office

Refugees: Syria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mental health support they are offering to recently arrived Syrian refugees.

Lord Bates: The Syrian VPR scheme prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin.Before accepting or rejecting a referral local authorities will be provided with information on medical needs and will think carefully about whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care and integration of these refugees.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the 1,000 refugees that are to be resettled in the UK by Christmas will be transported to the UK.

Lord Bates: The 1,000 Syrian refugees that we expect to be resettled in the UK before Christmas will be brought to the UK using a combination of scheduled and charter flights.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Job Creation

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how the United Kingdom compares with other European Union member states in terms of the number of jobs created since the start of 2012.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Total employment in the UK grew by a larger amount than in any other EU member state during this period, according to Eurostat data. Since quarter one 2012 to quarter two 2015 the employment level in UK has increased by 1.6m. This compares to approximately 826,000 in France, 1.3m in Germany and 101,400 in Spain.

Construction: Apprentices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to promote apprenticeships in the construction sector.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: In 2013/14 there were 15,890 apprenticeships starts in the Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Sector Subject Area.We are taking action to support apprenticeships in all sectors to meet our commitment to 3 million starts. We are working with large and small businesses to encourage employers, colleges and schools to work together to increase the number of apprenticeships.Over 1300 employers - including in the construction sector - are currently involved in designing new apprenticeship standards. These include apprenticeships in construction occupations at a range of levels such as Construction Technician (L6), Quantity Surveyor (L6), Construction Site Management (L6), Advanced Carpentry & Joinery (L4) and Steel Fixer (L2)

Prisons: Vocational Education

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many vocational qualifications were achieved by those serving prison sentences in England and Wales in each of the last three years, broken down by subject and level.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: In the last three years, over 230,000 vocational qualifications were achieved each year by those serving prison sentences in England. BIS do not hold data for offender learning in Wales.Table 1 shows the number of achievements by Offender Learners (aged 18+) for vocational qualifications, by Level.Table 2 shows the number of achievements by Offender Learners (aged 18+) for vocational qualifications, by Sector Subject Area.Education and training is a key part of prisoners’ rehabilitation. We must have the right incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to make sure that education is properly prioritised. The Justice Secretary has asked Dame Sally Coates to lead a review of the provision of education in prisons. The review will examine the scope and quality of current provision in adult prisons and in young offender institutions for 18-20 year olds; review domestic and international evidence of what works well in prison education to support the rehabilitation of different segments of prison learners; and identify options for future models of education services in prisons.Table 1: Adult (18+) Offender Learning Achievements (aims) for Vocational Qualifications by Level (2012/13 to 2014/15) - Total Number of AimsLevel2012/132013/142014/15 Below Level 2 (excluding English and maths)136,490156,190151,250English and maths23,84041,90044,120Level 270,18074,19063,370Level 32,050880410Level 4+10--Total 230,400271,800252,800Table 2: Adult (18+) Offender Learning Achievements (aims) for Vocational Qualifications by Sector Subject Area (2012/13 to 2014/15) - Total Number of AimsSector Subject Area2012/132013/142014/15Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care5,0608,5506,460Arts, Media and Publishing19,93019,37016,290Business, Administration and Law25,36028,48026,110Construction, Planning and the Built Environment42,98041,78032,640Education and Training1,6303,2006,470Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies12,75019,51018,090Health, Public Services and Care44,04032,12017,580History, Philosophy and Theology2010-Information and Communication Technology82,24083,70076,620Languages, Literature and Culture1,000750900Leisure, Travel and Tourism1,0301,570590Preparation for Life and Work161,180232,160247,190Retail and Commercial Enterprise53,92065,33062,900Science and Mathematics510120-Social Sciences1708050Not Applicable/ Not Known11,2008,23060Total 230,400271,800252,800 Notes:1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest ten except for the Grand Totals which are rounded to the nearest hundred.2) ‘-’ Indicates a base value of less than 5.3) Offender learners are defined as offenders aged 18 or over that participated in Skills Funding Agency funded learning while in the prison system. These offenders were funded via the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) budget.4) Full-year numbers are a count of the number of aims that have occurred at any point during the year. Where a learner has multiple aims, these will be counted separately, even those within the same Level or Sector Subject Area.5) Vocational qualifications include all FE & Skills qualifications except from GCSEs, AS Levels and A Levels.

Science: Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of UK GDP is spent on science and research in the UK, and how that figure compares with other countries in the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK invested 1.7% of GDP in research and development in 2013, compared to an EU28 average of 1.9%.The UK has a world-class science and research base and achieves a high rate of return for its investment. With 0.9% of global population, 4.1% of researchers and 3.2% of R&D expenditure, the UK accounts for 6.4% of articles, 11.6% of citations, and 15.9% of the most highly cited articles. We are the most productive science base in the G7, and rank first amongst comparable major research nations for Field Weighted Citations Impact.

UK Membership of EU

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the recent report by former UK ambassadors to the EU that, if the UK left the EU, access to free-trade deals would be lost with 51 states; (2) whether those states would, as a consequence, lose free access to the UK market; and (3) the overall effect on the UK's trading balance of those assessments.

Lord Maude of Horsham: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

Department for International Development

Middle East: Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial support they have provided directly to refugee camps in the Middle East since the beginning of 2015.

Baroness Verma: The vast majority of Syrians who have fled Syria live amongst host communities. HMG’s response is therefore focused on refugees in these communities, not solely those living in formal and informal camps.In financial year 2015/2016, DFID has allocated £151 million to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in the region, including £94 million in Lebanon, £47 million in Jordan and £10 million in Turkey. Spending in these countries in financial year 2014/2014 was £120 million, including £62 million in Lebanon, £48 million in Jordan and £10 million in Turkey.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations have received monies from the £1.12 billion that the UK has allocated to responding to the Syrian crisis since 2012, according to their 29 October Syria crisis response summary, and in what proportion.

Baroness Verma: As part of the Syria Crisis Response the UK is supporting a range of implementing partners working in Syria and neighbouring countries, including United Nations agencies, international Non-Governmental Organisations, the Red Cross and other international organisations. For security reasons, some of our INGO partners working in Syria remain undisclosed. The table attached provides details of the £1.12 billion allocated by the UK to date, broken down by implementing partner and country.



Syria funding table
(Word Document, 20.32 KB)

Department for Education

Unemployment: Young People

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in reducing the number of young people not in employment, education, or training; and how they intend to support local authorities in reducing that number during this Parliament.

Lord Nash: The number of 16- to 18-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is at its lowest level since 1994. This number has fallen by 51,900 since 2011. The government is determined to do more to encourage young people to participate in education and training, and to continue reducing the proportion who are NEET. That is why the government is investing £7 billion in 2015-16 to fund a place in education or training for every 16- to 19-year-old who wants one.Under Raising the Participation Age (RPA), all young people are required to continue in education or training until at least their eighteenth birthday. The Department is working closely with local authorities to support and challenge them in implementing RPA and meeting their duties to track and support young people. This support includes collecting and analysing local authorities’ data and sharing good practice.There are also a number of central initiatives which support local authorities in their work to reduce the number of young people NEET. These include a package to help improve the prospects of over 9,600 vulnerable young people through the Youth Engagement Fund and the Fair Chance Fund; the Youth Contract which continues to be available until March 2016 to support vulnerable young people; Jobcentre Plus pilots which are delivering in over 30 local authority areas to support 16- and 17-year-olds who are NEET; and provision funded by the European Social Fund which targets those who are NEET or at risk of being NEET. Broader work includes curriculum and qualifications reform, the 16-19 Bursary Fund, and improvements in the quality of careers advice and guidance.These initiatives will help to continue reducing the number of young people NEET by removing barriers to participation and ensuring that young people are able to gain the skills and qualifications they need for their future employment or continuing education.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates: Resignations

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many magistrates have resigned from 1 April to 1 November, and how many resigned during the same period in 2014.

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the percentage of magistrates resigning since 1 April broken down by (1) age, (2) ethnicity, and (3) gender.

Lord Faulks: The information requested is provided in the tables below:Resignations1 Apr. – 1 Nov. 20151 Apr. – 1 Nov. 2014584606Percentage breakdown of resignations since 1 April 2015AgeEthnicityGender>30yrs31-40yrs41-50yrs51-60yrs61-70yrsWhite / BAME*Male / Female>1%4%11%21%63%91% / 9%52% / 48%* BAME = Black and Minority Ethnic

Prisons: Vocational Education

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the suitability of the current range of vocational qualifications offered to those serving prison sentences in England and Wales.

Lord Faulks: The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 8th September a review of the quality of education in prisons, chaired by Dame Sally Coates. The review will examine the scope, quality and effectiveness of current provision. It will consider the scope and range of the current curricula and identify the most effective teaching and delivery models. Stakeholders are being consulted and a Call for Evidence has been issued. The review is expected to report in the spring of 2016. A copy of the terms of reference can be found at gov.ukThe Welsh Government provides prison education funding to NOMS in Wales to commission services and these are aligned to the Welsh Government’s learning and skills outcome requirements. Vocational courses represent more than 80% of the prisoner education in prisons in Wales and take account of offender needs and labour market information to increase prisoners’ employment opportunities on release.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they believe that some parts of the UK require different human rights legislation to others; and if so, why and what are the different rights.

Lord Faulks: The government is committed to protecting human rights across the United Kingdom, continuing the UK’s proud tradition of respect for human rights. There is, of course, already some variation in the legal framework for human rights across the UK, as the devolved administrations have competence to legislate in respect of human rights in the policy areas which are devolved to them.The government was elected with a mandate to reform the UK’s human rights framework. We will consider the implications of a Bill of Rights on devolution as we develop our proposals. We will, of course, fully engage with the devolved administrations.

Public Inquiries

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 5 November (HL2965) concerning public inquiries that they have instigated into the death of a single individual since 1988, which of the individuals specified have not had a full coroner's inquest.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions a non-statutory public inquiry has been instigated into the death of a single individual under section 17A of the Coroners Act 1988 at a time when that individual had not been the subject of a full coroner's inquest; who were those individuals; why they were referred for a public inquiry in each case; and on which dates they were referred.

Lord Faulks: A coroner’s inquest was not completed into the deaths of the following individuals:Victoria Climbié, Robert Hamill, Dr David Kelly, Alexander Litvinenko, Baha Mousa, Zahid Mubarek, Rosemary Nelson and Azelle Rodney.The only occasion when an inquest has been adjourned under section 17A of the Coroners Act 1988 because a non-statutory inquiry was to be held was following the death of Dr David Kelly. The Lord Chancellor established an inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death on 18 July 2003, the day that Dr Kelly’s body was found.

Department for Work and Pensions

Food Poverty and Fuel Poverty

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting (1) Barnardos, (2) Save the Children, (3) Oxfam, (4) Citizens UK, (5) the Trussell Trust, (6) Magic Breakfast, (7) FareShare, (8) FoodCycle, (9) Baby Basics, (10) The Children’s Society, and (11) any other organisations, about food and fuel poverty and the relationship between benefit sanctions and food and fuel poverty; and if not, why not.

Lord Freud: The Department for Work and Pensions constantly engages with a wide range of stakeholders, interested parties and other organisations across a wide range of issues that affect those receiving benefits.The All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Hunger, and the Church report ‘Time to rethink benefit sanctions’, amongst others, all recognise that the reasons that people use food banks are complex and overlapping. There is no robust evidence that links sanctions and food bank use.

Children: Poverty

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the effect on the number of children in poverty of the proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill to (1) freeze certain benefits and tax credit amounts for four years; (2) reduce the level of the benefit cap; and (3) change child tax credits and the child element of universal credit.

Lord Freud: The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Waste

Lord Brougham and Vaux: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to prevent food waste.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government is working with food manufacturers and retailers to meet targets to reduce food waste from households and the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste since 2007 and signatories reported a reduction of 7.4% in food supply chain waste between 2009-2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing further 3.2% reduction by 2014.The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There is also an agreement with the hospitality sector with targets to prevent and manage food waste in restaurants, pubs and canteens.WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which is expected to start next year and will build on this progress.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Owner Occupation

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people owned their own home in each year from 1997 until the last year for which records are available.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The numbers of owner occupier households in England, estimated from DCLG's English Housing Survey, are provided in the table belowNumber (000s) of owner occupied households, 1997 to 2013-14: England1997 13,629 1998 13,817 1999 14,091 2000 14,340 2001 14,359 2002 14,559 2003 14,701 2004 14,678 2005 14,791 2006 14,791 2007 14,733 2008 14,628 2008-09 14,621 2009-10 14,525 2010-11 14,450 2011-12 14,388 2012-13 14,337 2013-14 14,319 Source: English Housing Survey https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469214/2013-14_Section_1_Households_tables_and_figures_FINAL.xlsx

First Time Buyers: Greater London

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the size of deposit needed to buy a starter home in London.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Starter Homes will be sold at a minimum of 80% of the full market price and offered to first time buyers under the age of 40. The discounted Starter Homes price will be capped at £450,000 in London.The cap is not an expectation of the going price for a Starter Home. Most first time buyers are not buying average-priced properties, but those at the lower quartile of values in an area. This is the first time buyers market that exists, and this is where we anticipate developers pricing starter homesStarter homes will reduce deposit requirements for first time buyers. The average price paid by a first time buyer in London in Q2 2015 was £376,000 (Office for National Statistics data). The discount achieved through the Starter Home initiative would reduce the price of such a property to £301,000 and also reduce the deposit.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

International Climate Fund

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in 2014, what percentage of the International Climate Fund was spent on (1) low carbon development, compared to the original target of 30 per cent, and (2) adaptation, compared to the original intention of 50 per cent.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The original thematic splits for the International Climate Fund (ICF) were revised in 2013 as part of a strategic review of the Fund. The revised goals are for a 50:50 split over the 2011/12 – 2015/16 Spending Review period between low carbon development and adaptation, with forestry contributing equally to both themes.As reported in the International Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI) report in 2014, at the end of the 2013/14 financial year, the ICF had spent 45% of its budget (£1.75bn), with 56% going towards mitigation, 28% on adaptation and 16% on forestry. In 2014 the International Climate Fund spent a total of £880m, with 41.8% on low carbon development and 42.3% on adaptation. The remaining spend was mainly directed at forestry programmes, with a small amount categorised as cross-cutting.

International Climate Fund

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to ensure that civil servants respond to comments in the 2014 report on the UK's International Climate Fund (ICF) by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact that pressure to spend ICF funds quickly has not always been conducive to effective delivery.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government’s response to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s review is available online. We accepted or partially accepted all of ICAI’s recommendations and we are on track to implement or have already implemented the actions set out in this response.



Mgt Response to ICAI Review on UK ICF 2014
(PDF Document, 146.72 KB)

International Climate Fund

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that cost-effectiveness in spending improves as the International Climate Fund scheme expands.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) report published in December last year assessed the ICF as Green-Amber, meaning that it “performs relatively well overall against ICAI’s criteria for effectiveness and value for money”, noting that it “built up significant momentum and is now well placed to deliver on its ambitious objectives”.The Government’s response to the report was published in November 2014 and sets out the steps that we are taking to improve further the impact and cost-effectiveness of the International Climate Fund (link attached).We will continue to learn from and improve the robust approach to programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation within the ICF to ensure continued cost-effectiveness as the ICF expands in the next Spending Review period.



Mgt Response to ICAI on UK ICF 2014
(PDF Document, 146.72 KB)

Cabinet Office

Electronic Government: Hacking

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many breaches of government websites occurred in 2014.

Lord Bridges of Headley: For security reasons we do not comment on specific details of cyber security attacks. The Government takes cyber security very seriously; from 2011 to 2016, we have invested £860 million in a National Cyber Security Programme. We plan to almost double investment in cyber security to £1.9bn over the next five years.

Conditions of Employment

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of how many people were on zero-hours contracts in each year since 2010.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA attachment
(PDF Document, 194.15 KB)

Overseas Investment: Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their plans to introduce rules to stop local councils from taking boycott or divestment initiatives in relation to Israel are compatible with their guidance on overseas business risk in Israel recognising the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Bridges of Headley: Cabinet office will shortly issue guidance that reminds public authorities of their international obligations when letting public contracts. Foreign policy is not a matter for local authorities. The guidance will make clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate and may be illegal, outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions that have been put in place by the Government.

Strathclyde Review

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants are supporting Lord Strathclyde in the preparation of his report on the powers of the House of Lords; and which political advisers are also providing support to that review.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish any background advice and research provided to Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the full list of advisers assisting Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what precedents there are in government for conducting a review of a similar nature to Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether evidence sessions will be held in the course of Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords, and whether those sessions will be public.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their estimate is of the cost of Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords, and which department will cover those costs.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will (1) produce a (a) Green Paper, and (b) White Paper, and (2) consult with Parliament, prior to recommending any legislative changes to parliamentary procedures following Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they had with the Head of the Civil Service prior to setting up the review of House of Lords powers being undertaken by Lord Strathclyde.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords will seek advice from the clerks of both Houses on any changes to procedures for considering secondary legislation.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the (1) Constitution Committee, (2) Procedure Committee, (3) Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, and (4) Delegated Powers Committee, of the House of Lords, and (5) the Joint Committee on Human Rights, will be consulted prior to Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords being published.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords will seek evidence from all political parties represented in Parliament.

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 28 October (HL Deb, col 1176), whether Lord Strathclyde’s review of the powers of the House of Lords will define "financial measure".

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 28 October (HL Deb, col 1176) concerning the review by Lord Strathclyde of the House of Lords powers, whether it is intended that the opinion of peers will be invited.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston):Lord Strathclyde is being supported in his review by a panel of external experts and a small secretariat of civil servants in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat does not include political advisers. The expert panel comprises Sir Stephen Laws, former First Parliamentary Counsel; Jacqy Sharpe, a former Clerk in the House of Commons and Clerk to the Joint Committee on Conventions; and Sir Michael Pownall, former Clerk of the Parliaments. Several reviews have examined the powers of the House of Lords, including the Royal Commission on the reform of the House of Lords (2000) and the Joint Committee on Conventions referenced above (2006).The review led by Lord Strathclyde is due to consider how to protect the ability of elected Governments to secure their business in Parliament in the light of the operation of certain conventions. The review will consider in particular how to secure the decisive role of the elected House of Commons in relation to its primacy on financial matters; and secondary legislation.Ministers regularly discuss a wide range of issues with the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.Lord Strathclyde will determine the way in which the review is undertaken and the content of his recommendations, including any definitions required. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the exercise at this stage, but neither Lord Strathclyde nor his panel of experts will be paid a fee. Lord Strathclyde is expected to seek views from a wide range of Parliamentarians, parties and groups in undertaking his review, and has issued a letter to all Parliamentarians inviting their input. He is also seeking views from the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the House. Lord Strathclyde will report to the Prime Minister, and the Government will decide how to proceed upon receipt of his recommendations.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define the term "freedom" for the purposes of the development of policies and legislation, and in public statements.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government offers no specific separate definition for the purposes of the development of policies and legislation, or for public statements.

Department of Health

Doctors: Migrant Workers

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the representations from the GMC and other health regulators that the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive does not provide sufficient safeguards to ensure that doctors who provide temporary and occasional services in the UK have the right knowledge, skills and behaviours to practise safely.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department supports the principle of free movement for healthcare professionals that the Directive helps provide for and the benefits this can bring. Temporary and occasional provision of services in particular provides important benefits in terms of movement of professionals around the European Union and is not a new concept in the Directive.The Department has worked with the General Medical Council and other health regulators extensively over a number of years, including during the negotiations with other Member States, as part of the revision of the Directive. The United Kingdom secured positive changes to the requirements placed on individuals seeking to provide work on a temporary and occasional basis. The changes include the requirement for professionals to provide the regulatory body with a declaration of their knowledge of language and an attestation confirming the absence of temporary or final suspensions and criminal convictions; these supplement the existing requirements, such as providing proof of legal establishment in their home Member State, proof of nationality and evidence of professional qualifications.In addition, individual employers ensure that the people they employ or contract with have the required knowledge and skills for the posts for which they are applying.

Health Professions: Migrant Workers

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other EU member states concerning the impact on NHS patients of the introduction of the European Professional Card for healthcare professionals.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans are in place to evaluate the implementation of the European Professional Card for healthcare professionals in phase 1 before it is rolled out to other professions, including doctors, in the light of changes that implementation will make to the powers of UK regulators.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The aim of the European Professional Card (EPC) is to simplify and streamline the recognition of professional qualifications process for the applicant. Improving the freedom of movement of professionals will give the National Health Service greater access to a range of skills to the benefit of patients.For health and care professions, the EPC will be introduced for nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists in 2016. It will not be introduced for doctors until 2018 at the earliest. The EPC will be introduced through an Implementing Act.The Department was involved in extensive negotiations with the European Commission and other Member States during the development of the Implementing Act and was successful in achieving a number of positive changes including increasing access to translations of documents, and ensuring that authorities can challenge the issuance of an EPC in another Member State under ‘justifiable circumstances’, which will be an important patient safety mechanism. We will continue to work with the health and care regulators and the Commission during the implementation process to mitigate any risks.The United Kingdom was also successful in receiving a commitment from the Commission that they will undertake an early review to ensure that any issues are resolved before the EPC is rolled out to any additional professions.

NHS Improvement

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that NHS Improvement ring-fences its activities in relation to NHS Foundation Trusts in order to fulfil statutory provisions, in particular those in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS Improvement will bring together Monitor, the NHS Trust Development Authority, and patient safety and improvement functions from across the health system, under a single leadership and operating model. These arrangements will not change the current statutory duties of Monitor or any of the other bodies involved.

Mental Health Services

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities in training staff to identify and support those with mental health problems, and to link services in local areas to support mental health strategies.

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people with mental health problems receive ongoing treatment and support in their local community.

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to raise awareness of mental health issues, to address the impact of stigma and discrimination on those affected, and to engage with local businesses to develop employment opportunities for those affected.

Lord Prior of Brampton: It is important that local authorities employ individuals who possess the necessary skills to engage effectively with those with mental health problems. Local authorities should make training opportunities available to all staff.Mental health social workers empower individuals with mental illness and their families, carers, and communities to lead fulfilling, independent lives. On 1 September this year applications for a new fast track route into mental health social work careers opened for an intensive on-the-job programme called Think Ahead. The programme aims to attract promising students and graduates into mental health careers.Health Education England, working with NHS England, aims to ensure that there are suf­ficient therapists and other staff with the right skills to support the identification of mental health issues.Community mental health services, which include community mental health teams, crisis and home resolution teams, assertive outreach teams and early intervention in psychosis teams, all have a key role in supporting people with mental health problems either to avoid the need for in-patient care or to provide them with on-going support once in-patient treatment is no longer necessary.From April 2016, the first set of mental health waiting time standards will be introduced which requires that 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis are treated with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved package of care within two weeks of referral; 75% of adults referred to the national programme for psychological therapies will be treated within 6 weeks, and 95% within 18 weeks.This is supported by an £80 million funding package for 2015-16 from NHS England’s budgets, breaking down as:‒ £40 million recurrent funding to support delivery of the early intervention in psychosis (EIP) standard;‒ £10 million to support delivery of the new psychological therapies standards; and‒ £30 million to support liaison psychiatry in acute hospitals.The Time to Change initiative is an ambitious national programme being delivered by leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness to reduce stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems. The Department, the Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief have all provided funding for the programme.The Department funded the campaign with over £16 million between 2011-12 and 2014-15 and is continuing to fund the programme with £2.5 million in 2015-16. Time to Change continues to work with people with experience of mental health problems to challenge attitudes and discrimination; run social marketing campaigns and work with local and regional partners on community-led activity. To date, more than 350 organisations across England have committed to tackling mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

Alcoholic Drinks

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the Responsibility Deal for alcohol in the light of the Institute of Alcohol Studies report Dead on Arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for Alcohol.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are currently reviewing all aspects of the Responsibility Deal, including for alcohol.Partnership working continues to play an important role and Government remains committed to its principles. The new Government has renewed priorities and we are currently working through ideas in these areas.

Care Homes

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their experience with the collapse of Southern Cross, what contingency plans they have in the event of a significant withdrawal of large and medium-sized providers of residential and nursing home care from the provision of publicly-funded social care.

Lord Prior of Brampton: It is unacceptable for vulnerable people who need care and support to have their services interrupted if their provider fails financially.The Care Act 2014 placed duties on local authorities to step in and ensure people’s needs continue to be met if their provider fails financially and their services cease. These duties apply to all people receiving care services, regardless of who pays for them, and there are reciprocal arrangements in all countries of the United Kingdom. The Government has supported local authorities with this duty and recently published guidance for local authorities to assist them in developing contingency plans for managing provider failure. This guidance was co-produced with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government information Unit.The Care Act also established the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with a new function to oversee the finances of the largest and most difficult to replace providers. This oversight function would provide early warning to relevant local authorities in the event that one of the providers in the CQC scheme was likely to fail financially and their services cease. This would allow local authorities time to implement contingency plans. This CQC Market Oversight scheme is now fully functional.

NHS: Staff

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the ratio of NHS employees to the UK population; and how this compares with major European countries and the USA.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not collected by the Department. Health is a devolved matter across the four countries of the United Kingdom and the Department is only responsible for the health and care system in England.The ratio of National Health Service staff in England to the population of England is 0.019824. This is normally expressed as a ratio per 100,000 population, which in this case is 1,982.4 full-time equivalent staff per 100,000 population.The Department does not hold information on estimates of the number of health care staff in other countries.

Hospitals: Parking

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of hospital trusts charging disabled people to park their cars on those people.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department has not made any national assessment of the effect of parking charges on specific groups. Decisions on hospital car parking, including charging, are taken locally by National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts.On 23 August, 2014, the Department published the NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles, which set out a nationally consistent approach for hospitals to take to car parking and concessionary charges. Disabled people are explicitly mentioned as a group who should receive free or concessionary parking. The principles are:“NHS organisations should work with their patients and staff, local authorities and public transport providers to make sure that users can get to the site (and park if necessary) as safely, conveniently and economically as possible.1Charges should be reasonable for the area.Concessions, including free or reduced charges or caps, should be available for the following groups:disabled people2frequent outpatient attendersvisitors with relatives who are gravely ill, or carers3 of such peoplevisitors to relatives who have an extended stay in hospital, or carers3 of such peoplecarers3 of people in the above groups where appropriatestaff working shifts that mean public transport cannot be usedOther concessions, eg for volunteers or staff who car-share, should be considered locally.Priority for staff parking should be based on need, eg staff whose daily duties require them to travel by car.4Trusts should consider installing ‘pay on exit’ or similar schemes so that drivers pay only for the time that they have used. Additional charges should only be imposed where reasonable5 and should be waived when overstaying is beyond the driver’s control (eg when treatment takes longer than planned, or when staff are required to work beyond their scheduled shift).Details of charges, concessions and additional charges should be well publicised including at car park entrances, wherever payment is made and inside the hospital. They should also be included on the hospital website and on patient letters and forms, where appropriate.NHS trusts should publish:their parking policytheir implementation of the NHS car parking principlesfinancial information relating to their car parkingsummarised complaint information on car parking and actions taken in response Contracted-out car parkingNHS organisations are responsible for the actions of private contractors who run car parks on their behalf.NHS organisations should act against rogue contractors in line with the relevant codes of practice6 where applicable.Contracts should not be let on any basis that incentivises additional charges, eg ‘income from parking charge notices only’.”To help NHS organisations deliver the above principles the Department published NHS Car Parking Management: Environment and Sustainability (HTM 07-03) on 25 March 2015. This guidance is attached.Both documents make it clear that National Health Service organisations should work with patients, staff, visitors, local authorities and public transport providers when planning their parking provision.Notes:Each site is different and very few will be able to provide spaces for everyone who needs one. Since 2010, national planning policy no longer imposes maximum parking standards on development, and no longer recommends the use of car parking charges as a demand management measure to discourage car use.Consideration should be given to the needs of people with temporary disabilities as well as Blue Badge holders.Carers are those as identified in the following:(i) Care Act 2014 section 10(3)(ii) Children and Families Act 2014 section 96(iii) Children and Families Act 2014 section 97(iv) Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995Such staff might include nurses or therapists who visit patients at home. Routine travel between hospital sites might more sensibly be managed by providing internal transport.‘Reasonable’ implementation of additional charges practice might include additional charges for people who do not have legitimate reasons for parking (eg commuters), or who persistently flout parking regulations (eg blocking entrances). A period of grace should normally be applied before a parking charge notice is issued.There are two trade associations: the British Parking Association and the Independent Parking Committee. If the car park operator is a member of either, their relevant code applies and an appeals service is available to motorists. NHS organisations should consider imposing a requirement for contractors to be members of such an association.



Car Parking principles
(PDF Document, 83.92 KB)




Car Parking management
(PDF Document, 4.62 MB)

Hospital Beds

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to avoid bed shortages due to delayed discharges from hospital.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Since April, local projects across the country have been using the Government’s £5.3 billion Better Care Fund in an effort to reduce non-elective admissions and move people out of hospital more quickly, as part of on-going work to bring health and social care services together.In addition, the Government has made £400 million available to the National Health Service specifically to help with winter pressures in 2015/16. This money has been made available from the start of the financial year, enabling the health and care system to prepare more effectively than in previous years.The Department of Health is also working closely with NHS England and local government to develop a package of support to help local areas reduce delays in hospital discharge. This includes tailored support from the new Emergency Care Improvement Programme to help make improvement in the systems under the most pressure, and local government’s Sector Led Improvement Plan to drive improvement in social care.